---- Chapter 18: Moving In In the blink of an eye, little Leo had been enjoying his kindergarten life for two whole weeks. He'd made tons of new friends, picked up a few life skills, and fully adapted to the rhythm of school life like a pro. Meanwhile, Matt had been texting Clara every few days, gently nudging her about the move-in date. But Clara kept dodging with the same excuse: "Still not ready yet." Matt was going nuts. The house was fully prepped-check. The study was a carbon copy of the original setup-check. He'd hired a cleaning service to deep-clean every inch of the place twice-absolutely spotless. The plants on the balcony were arranged to perfection, just like the greenery consultant recommended. The only things missing? Groceries in the fridge and, oh yeah, the lady of the house! And how was he supposed to explain that to the boss? That night, after Clara finished reading Leo his bedtime story, she got a WhatsApp notification. It was from Aaron. A single, big ol' question mark. What was that supposed to mean? ---- Clara replied: "2" Aaron: "Why haven't you moved in yet?" Clara felt a twinge of guilt. "Been slammed at work. Haven't had time to pack." Aaron: "Can we video chat?" Clara's heart skipped a beat-literally skipped. Then Aaron added, "Just wanna see Leo." Oh. Right. She almost read too much into that. She sent back an "OK" emojji. The video call rang in a second later. Clara called Leo over. Aaron was sitting at a desk, papers in hand, looking like he was in a meeting with subordinates. "Hey, Leo! Long time no see. You doing okay at school?" Leo nodded enthusiastically. "Yep! Kindergarten's so fun! Elsie's dad even came to visit her! Why haven't you come? Aren't you my dad?" Leo had been hearing "Elsie's dad this" and "Elsie's dad that" nonstop lately. He was low-key salty about it. Aaron was a little stunned. He'd never had a kid miss him before-it felt new, weirdly sweet, and a little nerve-wracking. He tried to sound serious, but warm: ---- "I'm on a business trip. I'll be back in seven days. Want me to bring you a gift?" Leo lit up. "Can I get a Doraemon?" Aaron smiled. "Of course. Do you like the new house? It's got lots of Doraemons." Leo beamed. "I love it! And the slide, too!" Aaron: "So how about moving in tomorrow? That way, I'll get to see you as soon as I'm back." Leo looked at his mom, saw she wasn't objecting, and gave a firm nod. Aaron's mood instantly lifted. He even glanced behind Leo at Clara, who was just standing there like part of the furniture. Hmm. She looked... kinda cute now? After the call ended, Aaron messaged: "Go to work. Leave the key. Matt'll handle the rest." Clara: "Which room am I staying in?" Aaron: "Well, I've only got one wife and one son. Other than the study, the rest of the house is yours." Clara felt a little spark of joy at that tiny bit of freedom. "OK!" Aaron put down his phone, smiling like a fool. One call, and the day's stress vanished. His body and soul ---- both felt lighter. Was this what having a family felt like? Not bad. Not bad at all. Honestly, shout-out to Matt. The guy crushed it. With Aunt Paige's help, they were an unstoppable duo. By the time Clara got off work, the new house was pretty much move-in ready. Clara wrestled with indecision for all of three seconds before choosing the master bedroom on the second floor. Come on, that whirlpool tub was just too tempting. After a quick discussion, Paige decided not to live with them. She said she was more comfortable at her own place, which was nearby anyway. So she'd stick to her original schedule-arrive by 8 a.m., leave after dinner was cooked and Clara got home from work. The only downside was that the house was way bigger now, which meant more work. Clara didn't hesitate-she gave Paige a raise on the spot. Meanwhile, Leo was bouncing around his new room, touching everything, exploring every corner, practically vibrating with excitement. Clara called out, "Alright, buddy, it's nine o'clock-bedtime!" Leo looked up at her. "Mom, am I sleeping by myself ---- tonight?" "Yep. You think you'll be scared?" Leo puffed up with pride. "No way! I've got all these Doraemons with me. I'm not scared of anything! What about you, Mom? Are you gonna be scared sleeping alone?" Clara chuckled. "Not at all. I'm a grown-up!" Leo struck a heroic pose. "Well, I'm a man. So definitely not scared!" Clara laughed, turned off the lights, and left on a soft night lamp. She kissed his forehead and whispered, "My Leo is the bravest kid ever! But if I do get scared, you better come protect me, okay?" Leo nodded solemnly. "Of course! I love you the most, Mommy!" A lot of people say raising kids is exhausting. And sure-there's the constant feeding, bathing, crying, tantrums, and sleepless nights. When they're sick, it's a full-on emotional marathon. Moms lose themselves, lose their freedom. Clara wasn't immune. From late pregnancy until Leo turned two, she hadn't worked, hadn't socialized-just pure motherhood. But Clara felt like she only became whole when Leo came into her life. With Leo, every day was filled with ---- joy and purpose. If it weren't for him, she might never have crawled out of the fog left behind by her mother's passing. Back in the master bedroom, Clara finally had a moment to really take in the space. The walk-in closet was enormous. Her entire wardrobe barely filled a fifth of it. She hadn't bought new clothes in years. Between work at the hospital and raising Leo, there just hadn't been time-or reason-for fashion. Everything she owned was simple, comfy, practical. Sometimes she wondered if she'd aged prematurely. Why didn't she ever feel the urge to shop? The only place she ever got the impulse to splurge was the kids' section. Looking at her side of the closet now, she realized just how few clothes she really had. On the bright side, at least moving again wouldn't be a hassle. Her gaze landed on the bed-massive. She could do backflips on this thing if she wanted to. In the bathroom, she started putting away her skincare essentials. Of the entire house, this space made her the happiest. She filled the tub, lit the scented candles she'd brought, turned on some music, and fiddled with the fancy ---- buttons on the jacuzzi controls. Then she sank into the warm water, closed her eyes, and sighed in pure bliss. So this... this was the taste of money. The next morning, soft light trickled through the curtains. Before Clara could even fully wake up, Leo launched himself onto the bed like a human cannonball. "Mommy, Mommy! Are you taking me to school today?" Half-asleep, Clara instinctively wrapped her arms around him. So warm, so soft, still smelling faintly of milk-her sweet little boy. She ruffled his messy hair, pinched his chubby cheeks, and gave him a big kiss. But Leo had no time for cuddles today. He jumped up and started tugging on her. "Get up, Mommy! I wanna go to school early!" Clara groaned. "Why the rush?" Leo grinned from ear to ear. "I wanna tell Elsie I moved into my new house!" Oh shoot. Clara just realized... she'd forgotten to tell Sierra!